Belfast city centre building revamp plans

A major Belfast building in the heart of the city centre could be redeveloped for retail and office use amid new plans.

Calvert House, which is at Castle Place and sits close to the Bank Buildings which were gutted in a fire last month, is currently home to fashion chain DV8 on the ground floor.

But a fresh planning application is proposing the “redevelopment of existing building comprising the replacement of shop front elevation, change of use and extensions to upper floors to accommodate retail, ancillary storage and office uses”.

Meanwhile, fashion and homeware retailer Matalan is opening a new store in Belfast city centre.

The UK retailer is set to become a new anchor tenant in the CastleCourt shopping centre next month, creating more than 50 jobs in a new 24,000 sq ft unit.

Matalan will take over the first-floor unit left vacant after Toys R Us entered administration in April.